tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636657101295016562018-03-17T08:43:33.889-04:00Inside TowersWritten for the wireless tower industry. George Reednoreply@blogger.comBlogger1107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-66662499105690126512018-03-16T13:43:00.003-04:002018-03-16T13:43:25.010-04:00FCC Gets a Look at What They’re Voting On <a href="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-15-at-7.44.41-PM.png"><img alt="" class="wp-image-16176 aligncenter" height="304" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-15-at-7.44.41-PM.png" width="485" /></a><br /> T-Mobile and Crown Castle representatives showed FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr a thing or two yesterday as they toured selected small cell sites in Baltimore. Touring sites offering small cell solutions, such as the street pole lights Carr was introduced to, has been part of an information gathering effort on the agency’s part prior to voting on streamlining measures next week.<br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Carr was told although the basic pole, cabinet, metering, antennas and light infrastructure can cost around $30,000, that cost can triple when additional asphalt patching, street shutdowns, sidewalk repair, landscaping and auxiliary building requirements are added to the mix.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-carr-costs-make-small-cell-deployment-process-broken/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">recent Inside Towers article</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> quoted Carr saying the “small cell deployment process is broken” with plans to eliminate or greatly reduce historic and environmental reviews of the pocket sites. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-fcc-gets-look-theyre-voting/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-48670072288552540782018-03-15T14:13:00.000-04:002018-03-15T14:13:04.546-04:00CCA Wants FCC to Stay AT&T/FiberTower License Transfer<b><a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-att-closes-fibertower-acquisition/">UPDATE</a></b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The Competitive Carriers Association opposes the transfer of millimeter-wave (“mmW”) spectrum licenses from FiberTower to AT&amp;T Mobility Spectrum LLC. CCA asked the full Commission to stay the decision.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">CCA says the agency approved the transaction based on incomplete and flawed public interest analysis, and challenged the Commission to put a hold on its consent order while it reviews the decision of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.<span id="more-16122"></span> “Millimeter wave spectrum offers tremendous opportunities for carriers as they move toward deploying next generation technologies,” said CCA President/CEO Steve Berry. “Rather than giving AT&amp;T a head start advantage with FiberTower’s valuable mmW licenses, while providing FiberTower an incredible windfall for spectrum that has lied fallow for years, the Commission should make the terminated licenses available to any qualified applicant through auction.”&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A day after the bureau okayed the license transfer last month, AT&amp;T closed on its $207 million acquisition of Fiber Tower, giving it 478 licenses of millimeter wave spectrum it intends to use to roll out 5G services later this year. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-cca-wants-fcc-stay-attfiber-tower-license-transfer/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-86060666096627000252018-03-14T18:58:00.004-04:002018-03-14T18:58:45.640-04:00Telecom Reps Tell Congress How to Fix FCC’s Broadband Maps <img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-16093" height="148" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/berry-3.13.png" width="200" /><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-16094" height="148" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/gillen-3.13.png" width="208" /><br /> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">CCA’s Steve Berry (left) and</span></i> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">CTIA’s Brad Gillen, holding a small cell,&nbsp;</span></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">testify before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.</span></i></span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wireless industry representatives told lawmakers Tuesday better maps are needed to determine where broadband connectivity exists and where it doesn’t, especially now that Congress is considering effective ways to close the digital divide as part of the President’s infrastructure plan.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The Chairman of the Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), said the current FCC maps showing broadband connectivity are “utterly worthless.” He asked why the data is “so wrong.” <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-telecom-reps-tell-congress-fix-fccs-broadband-maps/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-31115345184401473672018-03-13T17:11:00.002-04:002018-03-13T17:11:26.683-04:00Streamlining or Steamrolling? NY Governor Proposes Rules for Small Cells <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-6468" height="34" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/verizon-300x68.png" width="150" />Last year, when Verizon Wireless submitted 12 small cell applications for a neighborhood near the University of Buffalo, Amherst enacted a moratorium on the construction of new towers and gathered a committee to analyze and revise local zoning regulations. Now those municipality-level regulations may be usurped by state-wide protocol, as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced a budget proposal to adopt a uniform, statewide permitting and review process for the installation of small cell nodes, according to a report from </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Buffalo News</span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Local governments and interest groups like the Association of Towns and the New York Conference of Mayors are pushing back, citing state overreach in decisions traditionally made at the local level. &nbsp;</span><span id="more-16059"></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Verizon supports the governor’s proposal, which the company believes will “promote private investment in state-of-the-art telecommunications networks at no cost to taxpayers,” according to David Lamendola, Verizon’s director of state government affairs for New York. New York would join 13 other states who have already introduced similar proposals to streamline the installation of small cell technology, Lamendola told </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Buffalo News</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In addition to helping Verizon meet customer demand, Lamendol</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a explained that the proposal may also bring new jobs to the state.&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-streamlining-steamrolling-ny-governor-proposes-rules-small-cells/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-72487547784694854462018-03-09T10:27:00.004-05:002018-03-09T10:27:34.831-05:00Reject Our Tower? See You in Court, Verizon Says <span style="font-weight: 400;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-6468" height="34" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/verizon-300x68.png" width="150" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the rejection of its special-use and wetlands permits for the construction of a new tower to bridge a critical coverage gap, Verizon Wireless has filed suit against the city of </span><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/kEpgHVfkz7r"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Philipstown, NY</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in U.S. District Court in White Plains, requesting that the court grant the denied permits and authorize work to begin on the new tower, as reported by </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">WestfairOnline.com</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><a href="https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/23747373/NEW_YORK_SMSA_LIMITED_PARTNERSHIP_dba_VERIZON_WIRELESS_et_al_v_Town_of_Philipstown_et_al"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Verizon Wireless et al v. Town of Philipstown, et al</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the carrier alleges that neither the conservation board nor the zoning board provided sufficient evidence to warrant the denial of the permits, in breach of the federal Telecommunications Act. The suit, which names the zoning board of appeals, the town and conservation boards, and the town’s building inspector and natural resources review officer, alleges that the town engaged in discriminatory practices, levied excessive fees, unreasonably delayed the project, and violated federal and state laws, according to a report from </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">WestfairOnline.com</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The conflict began in May of 2017, when Verizon applied for permits for a new 180-foot pole at 50 Vineyard Road to replace a 120-foot tower nearby; its signal is occluded by the local topography, according to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">WestfairOnline.com</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. As noted in Verizon’s complaint, Philipstown’s consulting engineer confirmed that the existing tower could not solve the signal gap, even if the tower were elevated to 210 feet. Verizon contends in the suit, that the proposed project met all requirements, but that town officials “were intent on catering to a small but vocal group of politically influential objectors” and unreasonably delayed mandated public hearings and attempted to impose new fees. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-reject-tower-see-court-verizon-says/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-82189625547592121092018-03-07T10:52:00.004-05:002018-03-07T10:52:51.382-05:00NTIA, Lawmakers, Discuss Spectrum Clearing, Sharing Incentives <a href="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-06-at-8.22.35-PM.png"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-15676" height="192" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-03-06-at-8.22.35-PM-300x144.png" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span><br /> <span class="mce_SELRES_start" data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 0; overflow: hidden; width: 0px;">﻿</span>A “good half” of the employees at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) spend all day on spectrum issues, according to new administrator David Redl. NTIA oversees government spectrum use. Their time is spent working on finding ways government spectrum can be used more efficiently — to find spectrum that can be shared among federal agencies and commercial licensees or given up for commercial use. That’s a prime administration goal as the wireless industry works to deploy 5G.<br /><br /><span id="more-15659"></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In his hearing debut, Redl explained to members of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, the context of NTIA’s announcement last week, that it has identified 100 MHz of spectrum (</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3450 to 3550 MHz) for potential wireless broadband use. It seeks incentives to government agencies to persuade them to clear spectrum.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The subcommittee is part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees NTIA and the FCC. Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), asked Redl why in its FY2019 budget request, NTIA asked for authority to negotiate leases for private spectrum. Redl, who worked for the committee for seven years before being named NTIA Administrator, called leases a tool. “We know clearing is the gold standard. But there are some bands where clearing won’t be an option,” because the cost to move incumbents off the band exceeds the potential revenue of licensing it for a new use. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-ntia-lawmakers-discuss-spectrum-clearing-sharing-incentives/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-47149631573099681442018-03-05T11:12:00.003-05:002018-03-05T11:12:27.407-05:00Congress Reaches Deal to Allow FCC to Auction More Spectrum for 5G<span style="font-weight: 400;">House Commerce Committee lawmakers in both the U.S. House and Senate reached an agreement on a measure to reauthorize the FCC that also provides a way for the agency to hold more wireless spectrum auctions. The bill (H.R. 4986) also spurs deployment of next-generation wireless services and enables more station categories to be reimbursed for moves, as a result of the TV spectrum channel repack.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) announced on Friday that the full House will vote on the bill tomorrow. <span id="more-15614"></span>“This legislation, combining provisions that have previously passed both the House and Senate, does what no legislation has done in 28 years – it reauthorizes the FCC and includes provisions that help make sure that the Commission is transparent, efficient, and ready for the 21st century communications landscape,” stated Walden, Pallone, Thune and Nelson. They pledged to work together to ensure the bill is signed into law.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The RAY BAUM’s Act is named for former House Energy and Commerce Committee Staff Director Ray Baum, who passed away from cancer last month. The legislation to be considered Tuesday would: <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-congress-reaches-deal-allow-fcc-auction-spectrum-5g/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-31594882698112963072018-03-02T10:50:00.002-05:002018-03-02T10:50:14.939-05:00GOP Calls WH Infrastructure Plan ‘Common-Sense’ While Dems Pan The Math <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-15588 alignleft" height="220" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/chao-3.1.png" width="200" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The administration’s plan to direct $200 billion in federal dollars to infrastructure projects includes broadband as a priority, but earmarks no money specifically toward expanding wireless or fixed broadband access. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, spent time discussing the administration’s reasoning during a sometimes contentious hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In a</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidents-infrastructure-plan-will-expand-rural-broadband-access/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">factsheet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> released by the White House last Friday, the administration states that $50 billion is dedicated to rural infrastructure and accounts for 25 percent of federal spending in the plan.<span id="more-15587"></span> “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">These funds will be awarded directly to the states, giving them the flexibility they need to address their individual rural infrastructure needs,” says the White House. States can spend as much as 100 percent of the funding they receive on improving rural broadband access.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Chao clarified that state governors will decide how to allocate the funds. She testified that the president’s Infrastructure Initiative </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“includes, but is not limited to, drinking and wastewater, energy, broadband and veterans’ hospitals as well. It is designed to change how infrastructure is designed, built, financed and maintained.” The goal is to stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment from the private sector. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-gop-calls-wh-infrastructure-plan-common-sense-dems-pan-math/" target="_blank">Continue Reading </a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-92093498297831722592018-03-01T14:19:00.000-05:002018-03-01T14:19:02.299-05:00Towers on the Moon Isn’t Pure Lunacy <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15568" height="260" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/martians-300x300.jpg" width="260" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">In what can certainly be considered a “giant leap for mankind,” Vodafone Germany, Nokia, and Audi are preparing to install a 4G mobile phone network on the Moon, 50 years after NASA’s Apollo 11 astronauts first landed. The equipment will be delivered by a SpaceX Falcon 6 rocket sometime in 2019, and will allow high-definition streaming back to Earth, according to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast Company</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Vodafone Germany Chief Executive Hannes Ametsreiter praised the collaboration of the companies working on the project in a press release from the company. <span id="more-15567"></span>“This project involves a radically innovative approach to the development of mobile network infrastructure. It is also a great example of an independent, multi-skilled team achieving an objective of immense significance through their courage, pioneering spirit and inventiveness,” Ametsreiter said.&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-towers-moon-isnt-pure-lunacy/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-38149760710533188792018-02-28T09:51:00.000-05:002018-02-28T09:51:02.461-05:00American Tower Beats Build Projection By Fifty Percent <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-6304" height="80" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/american-towers-300x159.jpg" width="150" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">American Tower Corporation executives are pleased with the towerco’s financial performance in 2017. Company Chairman, President and CEO Jim Taiclet told brokers and Wall Street analysts on Tuesday’s earnings call: “We far exceeded our goals” for the 10-year plan. One metric — the company ended 2017 with 150,000 sites for towers and small cell systems; the goal was 100,000.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Officials estimate aggregate capex for mobile carriers to be in the $30 billion range in 2018. That bodes well for strong tenant lease growth this year for AMT, according to the executive. (</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">See financial figures <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-american-tower-reports-fourth-quarter-full-year-2017-financial-results/">here</a></span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.)</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">AMT is launching the next 10-year plan to “deliver operational efficiency to expand” profit margins, he said. The company’s core profit-maker remains its “extensive mobile tower footprint.” Taiclet said AMT would continue to build and acquire additional tower assets that meet its investment criteria.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-american-tower-beats-build-projection-fifty-percent/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-63460505978835817672018-02-26T11:06:00.000-05:002018-02-26T11:06:19.364-05:00FCC Broadband Map Makeover Underwhelms Some<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-15497" height="148" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/fcc-map-2.23-300x148.png" width="300" /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In what officials described as an initial step at last Thursday’s FCC meeting, they unveiled an updated</span><a href="https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">national broadband map</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to track internet speeds across the country. It’s envisioned as a key resource for consumers, policymakers and researchers. However there was disagreement among the Commissioners over whether the new map will really do that, since it only includes fixed broadband deployment, not mobile, and leaves out price.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai described it as a “very meaningful first step as to where access is and isn’t.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Users can search down to the zip code level to find out what companies offer broadband service and at what speed. They can also filter results by speed or region provider, for example, and a color-coded map gives an overview.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-fcc-broadband-map-makeover-underwhelms/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-74296666629657619052018-02-23T10:48:00.002-05:002018-02-23T10:48:45.890-05:00Congressman Blackburn Backs Aggressive Buildout Agenda<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having just received the inaugural </span><a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-cipov-miller-blackburn-honored-nate-unite-2018-awards-luncheon/?utm_source=Inside+Towers+List&amp;utm_campaign=cff7fbb71e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_16&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_af16c4fc22-cff7fbb71e-66069089"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Legislative and Regulatory Champion of the Year Award at NATE UNITE 2018</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on Wednesday, Congressman</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (her preferred designation of her title)</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Marsha Blackburn, Chairman of the House Energy &amp; Commerce Subcommittee on Communications &amp; Technology, addressed the issues facing the telecom infrastructure industry and Washington’s efforts to see them expedited.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Broadband has long been a priority of mine, and here’s why,” Blackburn said. “It represents more than just the fiber in the ground or the towers in the air. Broadband brings with it the promise of better education, better healthcare, sustainable economic development, and an increased quality of life. <span id="more-15462"></span>It connects people in times of crisis, and it ensures our first responders have the tools they need when responding to emergencies.”</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Blackburn listed three guiding principles “it would behoove us to follow”:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-congressman-blackburn-backs-aggressive-buildout-agenda/" target="_blank">Continue Reading </a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-73926649046082304112018-02-22T14:24:00.003-05:002018-02-22T14:24:56.564-05:00Cipov, Miller and Blackburn Honored at NATE UNITE 2018 Awards Luncheon <img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-15442" height="200" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NATE-award-Pat-Cipov-02-14-214x300.jpg" width="143" /><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-15443" height="200" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Marsha-Blackburn2-221x300.jpg" width="147" /><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-15444" height="200" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/nate-award-pat-miller.jpg" width="150" /><br /> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(left to right) Pat Cipov, Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Pat Miller</span></em><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">NATE today honored Pat Cipov, President of Cipov Enterprises, Inc. in Sumter, South Carolina, Pat Miller, Director of EasTex Tower, LLC in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Congressman* Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Representative for the 7th District of Tennessee yesterday during the Awards Luncheon sponsored by SBA Communications at NATE UNITE 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-cipov-miller-blackburn-honored-nate-unite-2018-awards-luncheon/" target="_blank">Continue Reading </a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-86985529311302514782018-02-19T13:26:00.002-05:002018-02-19T13:26:52.947-05:00Lincoln’s Towering Genius<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Towering genius disdains a beaten path. &nbsp;It seeks regions hitherto unexplored” </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum address 1838</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-15379 alignleft" height="205" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/lincoln.jpg" width="156" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">OK, so he wasn’t really talking about towers per se….or at all. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The person he could be referring to could easily be himself 24 years later and one month before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. &nbsp;He spoke before Congress in 1862 saying: “The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. &nbsp;As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">What fascinates us about great men like Lincoln and Washington is their steadfastness in the face of diversity and chaos. &nbsp;And we’re not talking annoying setbacks or minor squabbles but seemingly insurmountable hurdles that, if not overcome, would change the course of America’s history. &nbsp;They not only faced opposition from great armies dedicated to their personal destruction but from friends, confidantes and colleagues…even their own government… who doubted them at critical moments.&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-lincolns-towering-genius/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a> </span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-22388436873521832602018-02-16T11:50:00.004-05:002018-02-16T11:50:56.388-05:00Oregon’s FirstNet Buildout by AT&T Gives Priority to Rural Areas <span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/FirstNet20product20logo_0.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15017" height="83" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/FirstNet20product20logo_0.jpg" width="284" /></a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the first stage of the five-year First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) buildout gets underway in Oregon, state officials, AT&amp;T and FirstNet say rural deployment will not be an afterthought, reported </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Radio Resource Media Group</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Rural is something that won’t be waiting until last,” said Carrie Johnson, director of public-safety advocacy and tribal affairs specialist for AT&amp;T’s FirstNet program. “It is a key priority during every stage of the buildout and beyond those first five years as well.”</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">With each stage of the buildout, there is a requirement for rural coverage to ensure that AT&amp;T doesn’t wait until the fifth year to begin deploying that coverage, said David Soloos, the single point of contact (SPOC) for Oregon. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-oregons-firstnet-buildout-att-gives-priority-rural-areas/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-14555463017376000602018-02-14T14:19:00.001-05:002018-02-14T14:19:14.592-05:005G Demos Compete During Olympic Winter Games <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15322" height="150" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/olympics-2018.png" width="150" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 2018 Olympic Winter Games offer a chance for sports enthusiasts across the globe to watch the best athletes in the world showcase their talents in Pyeongchang, South Korea. This year, wireless companies are competing as well, using the Olympic Games to debut plans for the first public test of 5G wireless technology, according to a </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5g-wireless-take-home-gold-south-korea-nikhil-adnani/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blog </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">from Nikhil Adnani, CTO at </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">thinkRF</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The South Korean government identified Information and Communications Technology as one of its chief goals for the Winter Games, and demonstrations from several companies will show the public what it can expect from 5G technology, Ultra-HD broadcasting, Internet of Things, and virtual and augmented reality systems.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">South Korean company KT Corp is the official sponsor of the Olympic Winter Games and will be prominent in 5G demonstrations, but competitors SK Telecom and LG U+ will be presenting as well. According to Adnani, the companies have been secretive about specific plans for their demonstrations, but the 5G experience at the Games is expected to allow data transmission at 20 times faster than 4G, with Ultra-HD broadcasts that offer four times the screen resolution of current broadcasts. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-5g-demos-compete-olympic-winter-games/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-22552144639081267762018-02-13T12:32:00.001-05:002018-02-13T12:32:36.378-05:00Administration Infrastructure Plan Calls for Faster Permitting <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15302" height="198" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/wh-infra-plan-2.12-231x300.png" width="152" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The White House on Monday released a</span><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/371350091/Read-President-Trump-s-infrastructure-plan#from_embed"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">55-page document</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for President Donald Trump’s proposal to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure. The plan calls for Congress to write legislation for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package that focuses on public-private partnerships, including funding from state and local governments, reports </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Hill</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The plan is centered around four main goals: generating money, streamlining the permitting process, investing in rural infrastructure projects and advancing workforce training.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span id="more-15301"></span> White House officials said cutting down the environmental permitting process down to two years or less would help infrastructure deployment.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The federal government would contribute $200 billion to the package, a figure Democrats have already said is too small.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The money is included in the Trump administration’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal, also released on Monday. The $4.4 trillion </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">proposal, titled “</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/budget-fy2019.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Efficient, Effective, Accountable: An American Budget</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,” sets forth the president’s priorities as Congress prepares to consider spending bills for the next fiscal year. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-administration-infrastructure-plan-calls-faster-permitting/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-25206037131551004322018-02-12T11:52:00.002-05:002018-02-12T11:52:55.812-05:00Congress Passes Rural Broadband Infrastructure Funding<span style="font-weight: 400;">The bipartisan temporary budget deal lawmakers wrangled over until the early hours of Friday morning includes $20 billion in infrastructure spending, including rural broadband. That breaks down to $10 billion for FY18 and $10 billion for FY19 – to invest in infrastructure, including programs related to rural broadband, rural water and wastewater, clean and safe drinking water, energy, innovative capital projects, and surface transportation.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is an important step forward to help bridge the digital divide and connect the hardest to reach areas,” said USTelecom President/CEO Jonathan Spalter. <span id="more-15285"></span>Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) said the agreement “marks an important step forward” on several priorities the committee has championed for many months. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Passage was rocky in both houses of Congress. Late Thursday evening, the White House instructed federal agencies to prepare for a possible partial federal government shutdown. The Senate cleared the measure after 1 a.m. Friday morning. The House voted on the measure at around 5:30 a.m. and the President signed it into law before 9 a.m. The government partially shutdown for about five hours overnight, but reopened Friday morning. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-congress-passes-rural-broadband-infrastructure-funding/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-85799056709089056752018-02-07T10:34:00.005-05:002018-02-07T10:34:45.052-05:00Mexico is Short On Towers and Long On Demand<span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t you wish you paid a little more attention in Spanish class? &nbsp;You just might want to brush the dust off of that particular text book because the burgeoning telecommunications market in Mexico needs over 50,000 towers constructed to keep up with demand for service. According to a report from </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mexico News Daily</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the country currently has approximately 27,000 towers but needs at least 80,000 to effectively support its mobile broadband network. “There are few countries in Latin America, and perhaps in the world, as complicated as Mexico in terms of telecommunications infrastructure, and while this industry is often described as a gold mine, in reality it is very far from that,” analysts from TowerXchange said. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-mexico-short-towers-long-demand/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-30550822297645691892018-02-06T11:52:00.003-05:002018-02-06T11:52:48.030-05:00CBRS Licensees Want FCC to Leave Rules Intact<strong>By Leslie Stimson, Washington Bureau Chief, <em>Inside Towers</em></strong><br /> <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-wispa-slams-ctia-t-mo-proposals-convert-cbrs-5g-band/"><b>UPDATE</b></a> The City and the Port of Los Angeles agree with New York City when it comes to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) rules for the 3.5 GHz band. They want the Commission to leave them substantially the same.<br /> The current licensing framework for the 3550-3700 MHz band, in place since 2015, “is generating substantial interest and investment, while the Commission’s proposed changes are unwarranted,” the<a href="https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10129268164954/Reply_Comments_Los%20AngelesCA.pdf"> City tells the FCC</a> in filed comments. “In particular, the 3.5 GHz band’s smaller license areas and shorter license terms, among other characteristics, must be preserved.”<span id="more-15206"></span><br /> In 2016, reacting to a proposal by CTIA and T-Mobile, the agency sought comment on their proposals to lengthen license terms to 10 years and increase license areas by using traditional Partial Economic areas rather than the current census tracts. In order to spur investment and greater certainty for the band, T-Mobile also proposed the Commission convert all 150 MHz of spectrum in each CBRS market open to priority access licensing. CBRS is now limited to 70 MHz of PAL per market. Reply comments to 17-258, “Promoting Investment in the 3550-3700 MHz Band” were due January 29. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-cbrs-licensees-want-fcc-leave-rules/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-78610420526757538042018-02-05T11:58:00.000-05:002018-02-05T11:58:02.763-05:00FCC In-Fighting Thwarts Tribal Tower Siting <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14309" height="150" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/New-FCC-graphic2.-Cara.jpg" width="150" /></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The subject of increasing rural broadband deployment on Tribal Lands was the subject of unusually public bickering late Friday between FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Chairman Ajit Pai.</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Clyburn issued a statement asking why almost a year has gone by and the item is not out, since Pai “repeatedly claims that closing the digital divide is among his top priorities.” She continued: “As my colleagues in the Majority are fond of saying, companies need certainty. I agree. With a substantial percentage of those living in rural areas of Tribal lands lacking high-speed broadband, the time is now for an up or down vote that will ensure that these communities do not lose the connectivity they desperately want and need.”</span><br /><br /> <span id="more-15187"></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pai, meanwhile, blasted back with a response, noting he circulated an item to colleagues in February 2017. The order would increase federal funding for broadband infrastructure on Tribal lands, explaining such siting is difficult, with higher operational expenses than on non-Tribal land.&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-fcc-fighting-traps-tribal-tower-siting/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-59817372778649274172018-02-02T10:58:00.002-05:002018-02-02T10:58:09.588-05:00Carriers Deploy More Towers, Antennas to Handle ‘Super’ Demand <div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-15163" height="113" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/verizon-stadium-small-cell-2.1-300x169.png" width="200" /><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-15164" height="112" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/verizon-handrail-antennas-2.1-300x169.png" width="200" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of Verizon’s small cells outside U.S. Bank stadium&nbsp;</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and Verizon handrail antennas inside enhance wireless data capacity for the event</span></i></div><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wireless carriers are prepared for record mobile data use in and around </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">this weekend for the Super Bowl. Nearly 70,000 fans will be in the stadium and another one million visitors are expected to use their smartphones and other mobile devices in the area.</span><br /><br /> <b>VERIZON</b><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Upgrades consisting of macro towers, small cell and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) are part of the mix, according to a blog post on</span><a href="https://medium.com/wireless-infrastructure-association/wireless-infrastructure-prepared-for-record-data-usage-at-super-bowl-lii-fbbbf2238e18"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Medium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;by Kristen Beckman, Community Manager of the Wireless Infrastructure Association. <span id="more-15162"></span>Verizon has been preparing for two years; it deployed 24 macro cell tower sites and 230+ small cells. The new infrastructure combined, boosted Verizon’s network capacity in the Twin Cities metro by 500 percent, according to the carrier.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In downtown Minneapolis, which is hosting the free football festival Super Bowl Live, Verizon doubled its network capacity on Nicollet Mall by placing small cells in bus shelters, a new solution for the carrier. “Verizon also installed security cameras on street lights with its small cells in the downtown area in partnership with the city of Minneapolis and bolstered capacity at the Mall of America and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport with neutral-host DAS equipment,” writes Beckman. Inside the stadium, Verizon added 48 percent more antennas to its DAS, using drinkrail, handrail and under-the-seat antennas, as well as Matsing Ball antennas, installed 330 feet above the field. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-carriers-deploy-towers-antennas-handle-super-demand/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-4088450422330234552018-02-01T18:30:00.000-05:002018-02-01T18:30:21.385-05:00FiberTower Gives Up Hundreds of 5G Licenses in FCC Settlement<span style="font-weight: 400;">FiberTower, which is being acquired by AT&amp;T, agreed to give up hundreds of high-band millimeter wave licenses to settle litigation with the FCC. AT&amp;T could have used the spectrum for 5G development. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">As part of the agreement, FiberTower will give up all of its 94 licenses in the 24 GHz band and 595 licenses in the 39 GHz band. Additionally, AT&amp;T agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $27 million to end the dispute.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">At issue, was the Wireless Bureau’s claim that FiberTower, “had not shown that it had provided substantial service for the 689 licenses,” according to the</span><a href="https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0126/DA-18-78A1.pdf"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">order</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> released by the Broadband Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. The bureau refused FiberTower’s request to review an earlier decision, saying the company “had not shown that its failure to meet the construction deadline” were due to circumstances beyond its control. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The licenses that FiberTower agreed to give up will help the Commission “re-band” the 39 GHz band, “which is necessary prior to auction of vacant and available licenses” in that band, said the FCC. The agency added that the $27 million payment helps address potential concerns “about undue enrichment of FiberTower with respect to licenses acquired at auction for which it has not yet demonstrated its compliance with Commission performance requirements.” The money also puts FiberTower “in substantially the same position” as most of the other license holders in the band. <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-fibertower-gives-hundreds-5g-licenses-fcc-settlement/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-59900720397160180622018-01-31T18:35:00.003-05:002018-01-31T18:35:22.062-05:00Flurry of Broadband Bills Only Raises the Noise Level in Congress <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-15127" height="300" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Brad-Gillen-171x300.png" width="171" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Money, time and even the hearing details themselves were squabbled over yesterday in a House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Up for discussion, were 25 bills to facilitate broadband deployment, especially to rural areas. Democrats like Pennsylvania’s Mike Doyle said it was too much. <span id="more-15126"></span>“We’re simply not giving these bills the time and expertise,” they deserve, he said. Doyle suggested it would be more prudent to hold a series of hearings and also add representatives of relevant government agencies.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Democrats were also concerned none of the bills specifically appropriate funding to broadband deployment. California Dem Anna Eshoo said, “There is nothing here that will address what we need. I implore the majority to get real. We have to have money.”</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Oregon Republican Greg Walden, who also chairs the larger House Commerce Committee, said it was important to get the bills out so the public can see them. “We want NTIA and other organizations to help us figure out what areas are not served. The big investment here is coming from the private sector.” However he added: “There is public money that’s being spent. Our job is to make sure it’s spent wisely.” Walden summed up, “We could have a hearing every week for 25 weeks and then move forward or we can do one hearing now.”&nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-flurry-broadband-bills-raises-noise-level-congress/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-663665710129501656.post-19097051162508446662018-01-30T11:20:00.001-05:002018-01-30T11:20:28.862-05:00Reported Federal 5G Plan Panned <span style="font-weight: 400;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-6262" height="112" src="https://insidetowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5g-tower-300x224.jpg" width="150" />&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The wireless industry and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Monday panned the possibility of the U.S. government building its own 5G network. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Axios</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reported a senior official on the National Security Council floated the idea of the federal government building one, secure, centralized 5G network to guard against China, “the dominant malicious actor in the Information Domain,” states the document.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The concept is the government would reportedly rent access to wireless carriers. If so, it would be an </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">unprecedented nationalization of a historically private infrastructure.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pai said he opposes “any” such proposal, saying, “the main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades—including American leadership in 4G—is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.” He called an effort by the government to build its own 5G network “costly” and “counter-productive.” The&nbsp;other four Commissioners opposed the concept. Commissioner Brendan Carr called the idea a “non-starter” while Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said: “I’ve seen lead balloons tried in D.C. before but this is like a balloon made out of a Ford Pinto.” &nbsp; <a href="https://insidetowers.com/cell-tower-news-reported-federal-5g-plan-panned/" target="_blank">Continue Reading</a></span>Cara Astonhttps://plus.google.com/117857913205158244791noreply@blogger.com0